This application claims the priority of German Application No. 197 24 600.1, filed Jun. 11, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a motor vehicle instrument panel having a trim strip and, more particularly, to a motor vehicle instrument panel having a basic body and a trim strip which is fastened to it and extends horizontally and can be seen from the vehicle occupant compartment.
An instrument panel of this type is known, for example, from German Patent Document DE 33 36 934 C2. There, the trim strip is placed in a horizontally extending recess within the basic body of the instrument panel. It does not extend there in one piece over the whole width of the instrument panel. In contrast, it is, on the one hand, interrupted in the area of the steering column and does not extend, on the other hand, to the respective outermost horizontal ends of the instrument panel.
The invention relates to the problem of constructing an instrument panel provided with a horizontally arranged trim strip in a stable manner while its weight and expenditures of material are as low as possible, in which case it should be possible to use a basic body which obtains a sufficient stability only by means of add-on pieces and its fastening within the vehicle body.
A trim strip according to the present invention contributes to the solution of this problem. The trim strip is mounted on the basic body of the instrument panel. The trim strip is constructed as a reinforcing support which covers the whole width of the basic body of the instrument panel, reaching form-lockingly around its ends. The reinforcing support consists of a basic aluminum part with a surface layer which is applied to it and is constructed as a wood veneer or a plastic coating. In a manner distributed along its length, the reinforcing support is clamped and/or screwed several times to the basic body of the instrument panel. Openings for receiving instruments and/or instrument indicators are provided in the reinforcing support.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.